The Most Powerful Militaries of the 1940's

Military

American troops storming the beaches during World War II — Everett Collection / Shutterstock.com

Published: February 22, 2024 10:30 am

Last Updated: March 8, 2024 1:15 pm

When you look at World World 2, its deadly conflicts happened in part as a result of huge militaries mobilizing against one another. The 1940s were undoubtedly influenced by the fighting of WW2, as was the changing power structure of the Axis and Allies. The U.S., in particular, was not considered one of the world’s military powers in 1939. However, by the end of WW2, the U.S. was the dominant Allied fighting force. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the most powerful militaries of the 1940s and see how they fared over the decade.

Introduction

World War 2 reenactment (D-day). Creative decoration with toy soldiers, landing crafts and hedgehogs. Battle scene of Normandy landing on June 6, 1944. Selective focus — The most powerful militaries of the 1940s fought the most deadly battles ever seen in human history.

As the world began to gather for war in 1939, the relative strength of different militaries painted a very mixed picture. On paper, countries like France and Great Britain should have easily repelled Germany but reality was quite different. As it turns out, unsuspecting countries like the U.S. and Russia would become the truly powerful militaries of the 1940s required to beat back German advances.

1. Italy

U.S. Air Force Consolidated B-24 Liberators, medium bombers, in flight over Italy. Ca. 1943-44. — U.S. bombers flying over Italy in 1944 after the country had been mostly defeated.

Any list of the most powerful militaries of the 1940s is likely to include Italy in some capacity. This is a country that is a bit of a conundrum as the size of its military was not a good indicator of its overall strength. Italy was widely considered to be the weakest of the 7 great military powers in 1940 all while having one of the strongest navies in the world.

When Italian dictator Benito Mussolini declared war on France and Great Britain in 1940, Italy had a standing army of around 1.7 million. By 1943, it had drafted almost 3.8 million citizens into its war against the Allies.

Italian Military Failures

world war 2 cannons - Italy, Colico, Lake Como — Italian gun emplacements still exist in Italy as war memorials overlooking Lake Como.

Unfortunately for the Italians, its army was not a serious battlefield opponent. Infighting among its different branches, old equipment, and poor training led to numerous battle losses. Ultimately, Italy officially surrendered to the Allies on September 20, 1943.

Post WW2, most of the Italian army just disbanded and left without any official orders. Germany would send many Italian army prisoners to German prisons as forced labor. What’s true is that Italy had a lot of brave men willing to fight for their country. Unfortunately, Italy simply didn’t do enough to train its men or arm them properly. Had it been more effective, the war could have dragged on longer.

2. France

Even with its military might France suffered heavy damage to its cities due to German bombing runs.

When you look back at 1939, there is a strong argument France was the best fighting force in the world. France outnumbered Germany through manpower, tanks, planes, and equipment. France has spent millions equipping its military with some of the best hardware in the world.

Unfortunately for France, its military was also the product of terrible leadership. France was invaded by Germany in 1940 and received little resistance. By June 1940, France’s vaunted military had surrendered Paris and by 1942, Germany controlled all of France. It took just 6 weeks from May 10 to June 25, 1940, for Germany to force France’s surrender.

France Jumps Into Another Conflict

At the end of World War 2, the French Army was still sizable and ready for another conflict in Indochina.

After the end of the war, France was near disaster as the country had been sufficiently bombed in all major cities. Retreating German forces pilfered resources including many of its military capabilities. In response, the U.S. would make France a large recipient of aid from the Marshall Plan to help rebuild its infrastructure.

For the latter half of the 1940s, France still retained a large portion of its army and it remained one of the world’s largest with almost 1.2 million soldiers. As the country voted for a new form of government in the form of a Fourth Republic, it retained a strong military. As a result, France fought (and lost) in the First Indochina War in Vietnam from 1946 – 1954.

3. Great Britain

Great Britain bombers flying over German defense lines preparing a bombing run.

As part of its international empire, the military strength of Great Britain was formidable at the start of World War 2. In total, the British military was capable of placing almost 2.9 million soldiers on the battlefield. The British military was able to field such a size thanks to its ability to use colonial soldiers from within its empire. Countries like India, Ireland, and South Africa all contributed troops that fought as members of the British armed forces.

Unfortunately, Britain’s numerical strength gave way to an ill-equipped number of troops and the British Army suffered defeat after defeat between 1940 and 1942. Ultimately, these defeats led to the development of the Special Air Service and Special Boat Service, now known as some of the best special forces groups in the world.

Great Britain Post WW2

Military evacuation of Dunkirk during World War 2. Thousands of British and French troops wait on the dunes of Dunkirk beach for transport to England. May 26-June 4, 1940. — After its military defeat at Dunkirk, Great Britain established special forces that helped it become a global power.

In a post-war world, England did not see a need to maintain its sizable military. The result was that it would significantly reduce the size of its military. Great Britain recovered from its early defeats to become successful in significant battles like the Battle of El Alamein. Driving the Germans out of Africa helped restore British strength and belief in its armed forces.

However, England’s focus post-war was on restoring its economy. After being devastated as a result of the war, much of the country needed to rebuild from German bombing runs. As it surrendered control of part of its empire, England looked inward, reduced the size of its military, and focused on strengthening its internal economy.

4. Japan

Japanese forces were fiercely devoted to fighting for their country and its Emperor.

Out of all of the major powers that played a significant role in WW2, Japan was arguably the smallest. With a population of just 71 million people, Japan was smaller than the U.S., Germany, Russia, and Great Britain. Despite its population disadvantage, Japan still managed to grow its army to a sizable fighting force of right around 5.5 million people.

However, Japan’s fighting size was split across numerous arenas. Between the Pacific, China, Burma, and Korea, Japan’s military was tasked with covering a significant portion of its territory. As the war continued, Japan’s government saw itself losing ground and threatened the Japanese public with conscription. The goal was to field an army of over 30 million people in the event the U.S. invaded Japan.

Japan’s Military Is Dismantled

To end the war, the U.S. was the first and only country to use Atomic weapons forcing Japan’s surrender.

At the end of WW2, the U.S. imposed numerous limits on Japan’s military to avoid continued aggression. Ultimately, the U.S. would dismantle the Japanese army and add a constitutional amendment banning Japan from maintaining a standing army.

For the rest of the 1940s, Japan’s military was all but gone and its senior officers were banned from serving in any type of political post. It wouldn’t be until 1952 that a new treaty between the U.S. and Japan stated that the country could start to build up a “self-defense force” in the face of international aggression.

5. Germany

German submarine U-995. Dramatic sky, storm clouds. Museum ship, Laboe Naval Memorial. Germany. Panoramic view. Travel destinations, landmarks, sightseeing, history, past, war, WW2, nautical vessel — German U-boats terrorized U.S. and British naval forces attempting to resupply troops fighting in Europe.

At the height of its strength in World War II, Germany had 14 million citizens serving in its military. As a formidable fighting force, Germany’s power enabled it to not just invade and capture numerous European countries, but also keep the Allies at bay for years. You could easily argue that Germany had the strongest military in the world at the time it launched its European invasion.

Ultimately, even though the German force was well-trained and well-disciplined, the Allies outnumbered the Germans and began to push them back. Germany did not have the strength to fight the Allies in Europe and Russia. By the end of the war in 1945, Germany’s fighting strength had been depleted by over 4.3 million soldiers.

Germany Is Broken by the Allies

Before the end of World War 2, German cities were pummeled by Allied bombers causing significant damage.

Due to its aggression and the atrocities it committed during the war, Germany’s military was completely disbanded. Allied forces removed the entire military structure of Germany on August 20, 1946.

For years, Germany was forbidden from having a standing army after the war. However, as the Cold War began to heat up, the Allies changed their tune and re-established the German military structure in 1955. The goal was to create a foothold in Eastern Europe that could stand up against any potential Soviet invasion.

6. Russia

Russia suffered greatly during WW2 but would find itself a global power by the end of the 1940s.

The Soviet Union would field one of the largest armies in history during WW2. At its highest point, it’s said that the Red Army had almost 34 million citizens drafted into serving. While over 6 million Soviet soldiers would fall on the battlefield, Russia’s influence during the war cannot be overstated.

Early in the war, Russia maintained neutrality toward Germany’s European invasion. It even signed a nonaggression pact with Germany in 1939. Today, it’s believed that Russia and Germany colluded to divide Europe into different spheres of influence. However, when Germany launched an attack on the Soviet Union in June 1941, Russia’s neutrality was abandoned and it entered the war.

Russia’s Military Is Huge

Russian soldiers celebrated their victory over the German Army at the end of World War 2.

While Russia was ultimately on the winning side of the war, it was devastated economically. The cost of placing so many troops in battle drained the Russian economy by almost 20%. Even so, the Red Army still had more than 11 million soldiers at the end of World War II.

Between 1945 and 1948, Russia began a period of demobilization and reduced the size of its army down to 3 million. Even so, by 1950, Russia was arguably still the world’s greatest military force outnumbering Western military units in Europe by a factor of ten to one.

7. United States

Initially staying out of the war, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor dragged the U.S. into the conflict.

In the grand scheme, the U.S. was not considered a global or military power ahead of being dragged into World War 2. At the beginning of the war, in 1939, the U.S. had an active duty fighting force of just over 300,000 between the Army and Navy. By September 1939, Army Chief of Staff General George Marshall looked to modernize the U.S. Army in preparation for a global war.

By the time October 1941 rolled around, the U.S. Army had grown to over 1.5 million troops in uniform. Even so, the U.S. Congress was reluctant to give approval and money to join the conflict taking place in Europe. While the U.S. had a small force on the ground in England, President Roosevelt was unable to gather enough support to fully mobilize the country for war.

Awaken the Sleeping Giant

pearl harbor battleship scenes in oahu hawaii — At the end of World War 2, the U.S. had the most fearsome navy the world had ever seen.

Of course, the U.S. position changed dramatically after the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. After this, the U.S. declared war on Japan and its allies. The result was the birth of a sleeping giant as the U.S. fully mobilized for war. The result was that the U.S. would field more than 16 million troops across the world battling both Germany and Japan.

After the Allies successfully defeated Germany and Japan, the significant rise of the U.S. as a global economy gave way to significant military modernization. While the size of the U.S. military shrank dramatically, it retained bases around the globe to maintain peace. By 1949, the U.S. Army had around 651,000 active troops. Today, the U.S. military remains the world’s most fearsome fighting force spending more on defense than any other country.

Conclusion

Allied aircraft drop paratroopers into German held Netherlands, for Operation Market Garden. The plan to capture key bridges in Netherlands failed with 15,000 Allied casualties. — Allied paratroopers parachuted into the Netherlands for Operation Market Garden.

At the beginning of World War 2 in 1939, the world looked very different than it would 10 years later. By 1949, the U.S. and Russia were beginning the start of the Cold War. At the same time, the British Empire was falling and France found itself in a new conflict. As one of the deadliest conflicts in history, WW2 undoubtedly shaped the direction of the next 50 years thanks to different military strengths.

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